


The Perfect Date

by eyessharpweaponshot



Series: Chopped: The 100 Fanfic Challenge [3]
Category: The 100 (TV), The 100 Series - Kass Morgan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Boy!Raven, Championship Round, Chopped: The 100 Fanfic Challenge, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Genderswap, Movie AU, Mutual Pining, Princess Mechanic, the perfect date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-16 07:18:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18686740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eyessharpweaponshot/pseuds/eyessharpweaponshot
Summary: To save up for college, Raven Reyes creates an app where anyone can pay him to play the perfect stand-in date for any occasion. What he doesn't realise is that he's already had his own perfect date with Clarke Griffin, who grows more important to him than he anticipates.Or a movie AU based a little off of 'The Perfect Date' for the Championship Round of Chopped: The 100 Fanfic Challenge.Awards/Nominations for 'The Perfect Date'Chopped: The 100 Fanfic Challenge (Championship Round):Use of Trope (sharing something) - 1st Place.Use of Trope (biased flashbacks) - 1st Place.Use of Trope (gender swap) - 1st Place.Overall Winners - 1st Place.Use of Trope (interrupted kiss) - 2nd Place.Use of Trope (free space - movie AU) - 2nd Place.





	The Perfect Date

**Author's Note:**

> _Written for the Championship Round of[Chopped: The 100 Fanfic Challenge](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/The_100_Chopped_Challenge_Final_Round)._  
> Mandatory prompts/tropes to include:  
> 1\. solve a mystery  
> 2\. sharing something  
> 3\. interrupted kiss  
> 4\. gender swap  
> 5\. biased flashbacks  
> 6\. free choice: movie AU

Raven Reyes needs to get the hell out of Arkadia.

It isn't a secret and he makes no efforts to hide his feelings on the matter either. Murphy, who works with Reyes at Dropship Subs, constantly and obviously rolls his eyes every time the subject is brought up.

'This place just doesn't reflect who I am' Reyes complains because today is a particularly bad day. His mother has gone off the rails drinking again and she had been in no fit state to even speak to him when he left for work.

He dreams of Shallow Valley - a prestigious University that holds the gateway to all his lifelong dreams. It's a desperate desire of his to study aerospace engineering, something to get him closer to a career at NASA or somewhere like that. Something that places like Arkadia could never provide. The only problem is money.

'And who are you?' Murphy groans, slapping too much mayo onto an ordered sandwich. Reyes, for once in his life, can't think of a formidable sentence to serve as a reply. _Damn it_. 'Finally, something you don't know' Murphy says smartly, flicking a floppy piece of brown hair out of his eye. Okay, maybe two problems. Still, you don't have to know who you are to go and study somewhere great, to do what you want to do - that much, he does know.

The bell above the door dings, announcing the arrival of Dax and Connor. They both attend the same school as Murphy and Reyes but as far as popularity goes, they definitely don't attend the same circle.

Dax drives a beast of a car, a black BMW i8 with a gorgeous leather interior, and is a hit with all the ladies. Reyes envies him a little too much - his parents are rich and he's popular, he'll never have to struggle with what Reyes has to. He'll get to attend whatever university he wants and have back pocket change to spare at the end of it.

'My aunt and uncle keep begging me and it's like I'm not gonna refuse. What exactly can I say?' Dax is saying as they enter Dropship Subs.

'You say 'no' because she's family and dating your cousin is weird' Connor smirks, shaking his head.

'Dude. I'm not dating my cousin, I'm escorting her to a semi-formal in Polis. That's it. Plus, my uncle is paying me too, so...' Dax trails off, approaching the counter towards Reyes and Murphy. 'Hey, Italian sub on wheat, no tomatoes.'

'You got it' Reyes gives him a tight grin. He get's on with Dax sometimes but he doesn't miss the digs he can throw at Reyes on the odd occasion, such as extending an offer to give his car a test drive only to whip it back seconds later. He knows Reyes could never afford a car like his one in a million years.

'Anyway' Dax continues talking to Connor. 'I mean, it's like the worst timing ever too. Fox's parents are gonna be gone for the night and we'd have the house to ourselves.'

'Is your cousin hot?' Connor asks, earning a raised eyebrow from Dax. 'I'll take her if she's hot.'

'I'll take your cousin' Reyes hears himself say, midway through making up his sandwich.

'What?' Dax snaps his eyes to him.

'Yeah, _what_?' Murphy asks, baffled by the idea.

'I'll take your cousin to the dance' Reyes shrugs. It's no big deal, it's just a stupid formal.

'Oh yeah, sandwich boy? You gonna be wearing those plastic gloves too? My aunt would love that' Dax laughs and Connor joins in.

'No, I mean it's Polis, so I would dress the part.'

'Why? What would you get out of it?' Dax furrows his brow.

'I get the payment you're talking about' Reyes replies, figuring that if he's going to pay his own way to Shallow Valley, he may as well start by trying to put money into a savings account. 'And I get to take your car' he adds, taking advantage of the situation a little here.

It earns a stronger laugh from Dax and Connor who are sounding more and more annoying as the minutes tick on.

'You're not taking my car' Dax says through his chuckles.

'Come on, man' Reyes smiles that confident smirk of his. 'You're gonna tell me that you really wanna give up the chance of spending an entire night, all alone with Fox when her parents are out of town?'

Reyes is smart, prides himself on getting through life with his brains and his charm. It's why when Dax takes a few moments to respond, clearly mulling the idea over in his mind for a few beats that Reyes knows he's won before Dax ever utters a word.

He flicks his eyes back up at Reyes, acceptance in them as he stares at him.

'You got a suit?'

 

-

 

Polis is a private school, full to the brim with over-achievers and teenagers with far too much money. It's why when Reyes rolls up to a massive house at the end of a row of more massive houses, he's not one bit surprised.

'This place is incredible' he says to Murphy over the bluetooth speaker in the car. 'This whole night is incredible! This car' Reyes almost moans, smoothing his dark hair back into place using the rearview mirror.

'It's just a car' Murphy's irked voice comes through.

'You have no appreciation for the finer things in life' Reyes tuts. The drive over had been better than anything he had ever experienced. He blasted music, loved the way the car glided through the streets, adored the noises it made. Maybe it's a typical guy thing to be obsessed with cool cars but hell, Reyes couldn't deny biology if that was the case.

'Speaking of things I don't have appreciation for, remind me again why you agreed to do this?'

'Because I need the money. Who knows? Maybe stepping outside of myself, becoming someone else for the night - it might do me some good with this funk I've been in' Reyes pulls on his black tie, adjusting it next to his crisp, white shirt. It feels odd to be so dressed up, he's never owned something so fancy in all his life. He had to borrow the suit off of Murphy - being just as shocked that he, in fact, owns one to begin with.

'And who are you gonna become?'

'Whatever she wants me to be, which I'm pretty sure is what every other girl wants me to be. Some knight in shining armour, some Prince Charming to open doors for her and compliment her hair.'

'You're getting paid to take a girl on a date' Murphy replies dryly. ‘Let that sink in.’

'Whatever' Reyes turns off the engine, a smile on his face as he bids farewell to his friend and gets out of the car.

He can't deny the nerves in his stomach as he approaches the door. The goddamn front porch feels too fancy for him to be even standing on. He takes a breath after ringing the doorbell, reminding himself that in just a few hours, he'll be a hundred dollars richer and closer to his dream of getting the hell out of Arkadia.

When the door opens, a man in his mid to late forties answers the door. He's handsome, friendly faced and in his eyes lies something akin to sympathy.

'Hello, sir. Raven Reyes' he introduces himself, extending his hand for a shake which the man accepts.

'Raven Reyes, Dax told us all about you' he says. 'Jake Griffin.'

'Nice to meet you, sir.'

'Come in' Jake slides his body to the side. 'Before you have a chance to change your mind.'

Reyes smiles, stepping onto hardwood floors and immediately falling into awe of the place. The staircase is a rich brown and even though Reyes knows nothing about the luxurious fixtures in life, he knows it's expensive wood. There's multiple pieces of fine art hung on the walls and though the house definitely has a homey vibe to it, it's nothing like his own.

There are no holes in the concrete walls, there are no light wires hanging out in random places, there are no cobwebs on the windowsills and no dust lies on any of the furniture. More than that, the mother of the house isn't drunk on the armchair.

Instead, a tall woman with her brown hair in a braid rises from the living room when she sees him in the doorway.

'Honey, this is Raven Reyes' Jake introduces him and Reyes extends his hand once more.

'Hi, Abby Griffin' she smiles. 'Good luck tonight. That girl has caused me wrinkles in places I didn't even know I could wrinkle.'

'Promising' Reyes lets the witty joke slip before he can catch it but Jake and Abby both laugh, clearly having a good sense of humour. He likes them - maybe not all rich folk are as arrogant as Dax, despite being related to him.

'She won't wear the shoes' Abby rolls her eyes at her husband but Jake only grins, like he's used to his daughter's difficult antics.

'There are no 'the shoes', there's just shoes. Is she wearing shoes?'

'It's a miracle she even agreed to do this' Abby mutters. Reyes’ heart is starting to speed up - maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

'Good evening' a sarcastic voice erupts across the hallway and when Reyes looks up, he sees a blonde girl standing on the top step of the stairs. Her hair is cut to her chin, cropped and wavy which matches her edgy outfit. She's wearing a simple black dress and combat boots, eye makeup a little eyeliner heavy. Still, she looks beautiful.

'Hi' Reyes stumbles, confidence and charm left in the car, it seems. 'I'm...'

'Dax's bitch?'

'Clarke!' Abby scolds her.

'Relax, he knows I'm kidding' Clarke comes down the stairs, a smirk on her face that would match Reyes' one on a good day.

'Raven Reyes' he introduces himself to a third person tonight but this one doesn't even offer him a reply.

'Oh, sweetie, you look so beautiful' Abby says as Clarke rounds the bannister at the bottom, revealing her outfit up close. She really does. Reyes tries to look like he's not staring but damn, it's hard.

'I'm not wearing the shoes' Clarke says as if reading between her mother's lines. She's beside Reyes now, the floral scent of whatever perfume she used filling his nostrils. She's definitely not what he expected.

'But they go.'

'Well, I happen to think that heels are an outmoded display of female oppression' Reyes chimes in, finally finding his voice. All eyes flick to him, a small smile forming on Clarke's face and he's a little proud that he made it happen.

'Thank you' she nods with a little smug glance at her mother. Abby sighs out through her nose and Jake grins, amused at Reyes comment. 'Let's do this so we can stop doing this' Clarke walks forward, pushing Reyes gently towards the front door.

'You kids have fun' Jake waves as they head off and Reyes barely gets a chance to say that it was nice to meet them before Clarke has banged the door shut behind them.

'Thanks for the assist back there' she says, ahead of him now as she stalks off towards the car. Reyes uses the opportunity to look at her, really look at her. She's all hard lines and edges, her energy screaming that she doesn't fit into any social norm and doesn't want to either.

She looks like she can't wait to get out of her home place too, like maybe she doesn't belong here just as much as Reyes doesn’t belong in Arkadia.

'Yeah, um, just part of the job' Reyes does a quick walk to catch up with her, reaching the car before her.

'Dax let you use his car. Man, he was really desperate to get out of this, wasn't he?' Clarke says.

'No, he wanted to go with you. He just thought we would have more fun together' Reyes replies, opening the passenger side door for her. Clarke just quirks an eyebrow.

'That's cute, but I can open my own doors' she slides in anyway, closing it behind herself. Reyes is just left standing there like an idiot. Yeah, definitely not what he was expecting.

He doesn't dare speak again until they're a few blocks away and he decides he can't stand the silence anymore.

'Shall I put on some music?' he asks, doing it anyway by pressing a button on the screen - yeah, the car has a goddamn screen. Music flows through the car, erasing the awkward silence between the two of them and Reyes can finally breathe.

'Wow, you provide quite the service.'

The GPS instructs that in 500 feet, they'll be making a left but Clarke leans forward, switching off the GPS mode entirely.

'You're gonna keep on the straight.'

'The navigation said...'

'No, don't listen to robots. Listen to me.'

Reyes is a little impressed by this girl - she's strong willed, witty and clearly doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks of her. She doesn't seem like the type to be attending a private school but maybe that's the mistake Reyes is making here, assuming they're all the one 'type'.

'Make a left here' Clarke demands and Reyes follows like he's hard wired to follow her every request. 'Pull over.'

When they stop, they're outside a coffee shop with a very large window, displaying the brightly lit cafe inside. It looks as edgy as Clarke is, clearly a place she likes to hang out a lot. It's decorated with soft hues and neutral colours and there's a very large black and white sign at the back that Reyes can't read from his position in the car. There's only a few people inside, deserted at this time of night because everyone is at bars or high school dances, apparently.

'Here we are' Clarke smiles, taking off her seatbelt.

'This isn't your high school' Reyes deadpans.

'I know, wouldn't it be weird if it was?' Clarke's tone has an air of condescension in it, a little humour there too to take the edge off.

'I don't...'

'You can swing back and pick me up in a few hours' she says, grabbling the door handle of the BMW. Reyes reaches out, touching her shoulder to stop her and definitely trying hard to ignore the spark of electricity that flies through him when he does so.

'You're telling me that you would rather hang out at a cafe than go to a high school dance?'

'Oh my God, _yes_. Yes I would' Clarke nods, sounding absolutely certain in her response.

'Clarke.'

'Gigolo.'

'You can call me Reyes.'

'Mmhm.'

'Look you're my responsibility and I can't let you out of this car' Reyes says, trying to figure out where his plan for this evening had gone. The dark streets outside, although lit by lamps, look eery in this neighbourhood at this hour and he doesn't feel comfortable just leaving Clarke here.

'Okay, let's define terms here. I'm not your responsibility because Eisnhower isn't in office anymore' Clarke straightens her shoulders and Reyes has to bite back the laugh that almost came out at her smartness. 'Secondly, you're being paid to hang out with me. Imagine how that makes me feel. Like really, really imagine it.' That part wiped the laugh from his chest. Now that she says it out loud and like that, it doesn't sound great. _Shit_. 'Now, do as I say.'

'Compensation aside, I think that you and I could have a really good time tonight' he tries. She's a fun girl, interesting - and despite his intentions, Reyes finds himself wanting to get to know Clarke without being paid to do it.

'You've clearly never been to my high school.'

'Fine, we won't go to your high school' he shrugs, resigning to the fact that he won't get her to attend her formal. If she's not bothered about it, he certainly isn't. 'Let's go inside, get a coffee?'

Clarke looks like she's considering him for a minute, considering his offer. She's squinting at him, maybe sizing up how genuine he is right now.

'Fine' she relents, getting out of the car and Reyes smiles to himself, taking a breath before following her out.

Damn, this girl is something else.

 

-

 

'So, he's been coming here for how long?' Reyes asks, taking a sip of his expresso and watching a curly haired guy at the counter.

'Every Friday for the last six months' Clarke replies, eyes on the same person. She's sitting next to Reyes, warming her hands against a cup of coffee - black, 'like her life' she had joked when she ordered it.

The guy they're looking at is tall, broad and apparently was a few years ahead of Clarke in Polis - long since graduated now. It's a bit of a mystery, as Clarke made out.

He was never seen to socialise with anyone, never dated, never even so much as smiled at another person when they were at school. Yet, now he's meeting up with this girl every Friday night and Clarke has made it her dying wish to know what's going on between them. It's a 'bland adventure' as Clarke called it, but one that she just has to reach the end of.

She has apparently made an accidental habit out of people watching them every Friday night when she comes here.

'We just wait for the girl to arrive?' Reyes keeps his eyes on this Bellamy Blake as he fidgets with a coin in his hand.

'Any minute now' Clarke checks her watch, her father's - which is what she told Reyes when he had asked.

They had only been in the coffee shop for about an hour and they've already blown through a months worth of conversation. It's rare that Reyes can connect with anyone that much, let alone chat with someone who can match him word for word with constant blabber. Both of them in their own little corner of the world, too dressed up to be in a place like this, talking like time was running out.

When the bell above the door dings, Reyes glances to the brunette who has walked in. Clarke nudges his elbow, signalling to him that this is the girl. She's wearing black jeans and a bright red coat. Her nails are painted red and her lips as well, eyeliner flicked out from the side of her eyes. She has a strong presence, her walk screaming power.

Bellamy gets up and greets her with a hug and a smile, signalling her to sit down across from him where he's already ordered her a latte. The girl smiles big, her features striking.

She has long, straight dark hair that tips her elbows when she walks and she definitely works out in her spare time if her muscles are anything to go by. She carries a motorcycle helmet under her arm and Reyes figures that this girl is a total badass.

'See? What do you think? Date?' Clarke probes, eyes stuck on the couple.

'You really have too much time on your hands' Reyes chuckles but still, he can't help but wonder as well. If Bellamy is anything like Clarke told Reyes, it would be interesting to know if a total social outsider is actually dating now.

Still, it's not unusual to become a completely different person once you leave high school. That very thing is Reyes' dream after all.

'Seriously' Clarke quirks an eyebrow. 'Six months without a kiss. If it is a date, Bellamy is really bad at it.'

Reyes, bold and confident, let's the idea form in his head before really thinking it through. He downs his expresso in one gulp and stands, causing Clarke's eyes to dart to his. They're the deepest blue, ones that he could fall into if he really let himself.

'Let's find out, shall we?'

'What?' Clarke hisses. 'No!'

'The best part of any mystery? Finding out the answer' he winks, taking a step forward.

'Reyes!' Clarke silently screams after him but he ignores her, walking casually over towards Bellamy and this date of his. He can hear Clarke scuffle to get up, following in haste behind him.

'Hey man' Reyes greets him and when Bellamy looks at him, he furrows his brow as to why a complete stranger is walking up to him. 'What's the deal with you and the Red Queen here?'

'I'm so sorry' Clarke comes up behind him, tugging at his arm. 'My friend here doesn't know what social boundaries are.'

'I do' Reyes shrugs. 'I just choose to ignore them.'

The girl across from Bellamy smirks, amused by him at least. Bellamy, however, doesn't appreciate the intrusion.

'Do you mind?'

'Interrupting your date, am I? Totally get it' Reyes holds his hands up in surrender.

'She's my sister' Bellamy snaps.

'Bell, be nice' the girl scolds him.

'Octavia' Bellamy warns her, like he's trying to tell her that he has it handled.

'Sister' Reyes makes a face at Clarke. 'Imagine that.'

'We're leaving now' Clarke smiles too wide, her embarrassment far too obvious as she practically pushes Reyes out the door of the coffee shop. 'Oh my _God_ ' she gushes at him once outside. 'What the hell was that?'

'Fun' Reyes shrugs, grinning from ear to ear as he leads the way to the car. 'You gotta learn to loosen up, Princess.'

'Don't patronise me' she pushes him lightly. 'I have to see him every Friday night.'

As Reyes opens the car for her, he doesn't know why he almost suggests that she does something different on Friday nights instead of people watching at a coffee shop, like go on a proper date with him.

The words die on the tip of his tongue because girls like her do not date guys like him - guys who have no money, no finance to get into good universities, no popular friends or fancy clothes or nice cars. He works in goddamn sandwich shop.

'Sorry' he says instead, meaning it in more ways than one. It comes out a little too serious for their previous banter and Clarke notices.

'You okay?' she asks, pausing before sliding into the front seat. Reyes leans his elbow onto the roof of Dax's car, suddenly wishing that he could deserve this girl because she's pretty awesome. There's no point in getting attached though, he's out of here as soon as he can afford it.

Suddenly, an idea strikes - something that he'll need to talk to a friend about, but yeah, an idea to make some money comes to him. His good mood returns and with it, his cockiness.

'All good, Princess. Hop in.'

 

-

 

His idea is gold - solid gold. And it's all thanks to Reyes' time with Clarke that night.

Reyes decided to basically hire himself out for dates - maybe Clarke's 'gigolo' nickname was appropriate after all, even though he's not doing anything illegal or inappropriate with these people. It's just to earn some extra cash to fund his education, there's nothing wrong with that, right?

'Every date would be custom built by the user' he explained to his friend Monty, who's a whizz kid with technology - even better than Reyes.

'Okay' he stared at him, a little apprehension in his voice.

'They could pick my personality, my interests, whether I'm a listener or a talker, if I'm funny or serious' Reyes listed off the ideas bursting in his head.

He didn't even go home - he dropped Clarke off, got her number because he really enjoyed spending time with her, politely refused the nights money from her dad because it wasn’t really a job and then sped off to Monty's to explain his idea. Dax had called him five times looking for his car back but that was an after thought in that moment.

'Basically, I'm a stand-in for whatever it is that they want. Their dream come true’ Reyes finished.

Monty had thought on it for a few minutes, clearly trying to come up with a way that he could implement this. Monty, if nothing else, was always up for a challenge. He decided on an app in the end and made a deal with Reyes that he could include the creation on his own college application.

A month later and here they are - with a fully functional app and a fully successful business idea.

'So instead of ordering Pad Thai, they're basically ordering you' Clarke is saying on the phone one evening as Reyes gets ready for a 'stand in.'

'Exactly' he smirks in the mirror as he fixes his hair. He and Clarke have made the habit of calling one another sometimes and she's actually become a good friend of his. This is the first she's heard of the idea though and she's more than intrigued about it. He doesn't know why he hasn't told her about it until now - maybe he didn't really want her to know that he didn't have much money, but she was gonna figure it out sooner than later. 'Anything to help me get out of Arkadia.'

'Little innocent Reyes, gone and in the past' she teases, her sarcasm coming in waves through the phone.

'Why is that in the past?' he chuckles, picking up his phone and taking her off speaker as he descends the stairs.

He rolls his eyes at his mother, passed out on the couch with a bottle of Jack in her hand. No - he won't let anything ruin his mood tonight, he can't afford to. His new job depends on him leaving himself at home. He doesn't have the time for her like this, even though he knows he should probably hide the bottle and cover her over with a blanket - but he can't even go there right now.

'Because you're a hooker now' she says and Reyes almost chokes.

'I am not' he laughs. 'I'm not sleeping with-'

'I know' Clarke relents. 'Because if you did, you'd go to jail.'

'I'm offering my services as a chaperone, that's all' Reyes explains, closing his front door and making his way out to his car. Definitely not a BMW, just a dingy rover with a creaky door. It's definitely seen better days.

'A bespoke concierge service' Clarke huffs out a laugh. 'Clever. So what have you done so far?' She asks as he starts the engine, the rickety sound announcing that it's coming to life.

'Umm' Reyes thinks back.

He's went on a practice date with a girl named Harper to teach her how to talk to guys, which wasn't the worst. He went to a cowboy party with a guy named Jasper and he had to wear an outfit that could only be described as Woody out of Toy Story. He attended salsa dancing with a girl named Echo where Reyes almost put his back out trying to keep up with her moves. He went to an art show with a girl called Luna who just wanted to make her ex jealous.

He tells Clarke all of this on his way to his next date and she listens, adding in comments where appropriate and he's proud that he could make her laugh with some of the stories.

'What's the weirdest one?' Clarke wonders just as he pulls up outside Lexa's. Tonight's date is fairly okay, just a girl who wants Reyes to prove to her parents that guys aren't that great. His job is to be a complete and utter asshole tonight, something to soothe the blow of her coming out to her extremely Catholic parents. He's not here to judge her methods, but he wishes that she'd have the courage to tell them to screw themselves if they didn't accept her for her sexuality. Still, he knows it isn't that simple.

'The weirdest one so far is easy to pick out' Reyes smiles in the darkness of his car as he kills the engine. 'I had this date last week where I had to just sit on this girl's couch and listen to her talk for four hours straight.' Clarke laughs out loud and it is honestly the best sound in the world. He wishes he could just talk to her all night instead of doing a stand in. 'All I was allowed to say was 'yes, I agree' and 'there's no other way to see it.'

'My God, that is the perfect date.'

'There's no other way to see it.'

Clarke laughs again and Reyes considers it a personal win that he can amuse her this much. It's a strange feeling - he get's straight A's, works his ass off with this Stand In job and at Dropship Subs, looks after his mother and saves every penny he can to go to a university with a good name - yet, nothing compares to how accomplished he feels by simply making this girl smile.

'So, when do I get to avail of your services?'

His heart almost stops. Does she want to date or just a hangout? They never went to the dance that night but Reyes still had a great night at the coffee shop, solving the mystery of the Blake siblings and getting to know Clarke more. He definitely wants to hang out again.

'When you book a slot on the app' he jokes.

'I gave you the idea' she gasps in false shock. 'Come over later? I'll still be up' she groans and Reyes hears the flick of a page. She's clearly studying. His heart thumps a little at the thoughts of seeing her again.

'You got it.'

 

-

 

'Where are you planning on going to college?' he asks her, studying the books on her shelf as she tidies away her papers on the bed.

'Uh, University of Sanctum' she replies, making Reyes spin around.

'Wait, you're not going Ivy League? Isn't that, like, your birthright?'

'Please, you see this?' she asks, holding up her hand and signing the symbol of a zero to him with her fingers. When he nods, she continues 'this is the precise number of shits I give about the Ivy League.'

Reyes is surprised - Clarke comes from a wealthy background and she probably has everything going for her in life, why wouldn't she grab the opportunity with two hands? How awesome would an Ivy League college look on a job application? How awesome would it sound to tell people that you attended one?

'I give many more shits than that. Shallow Valley is all I'm aiming for' he says.

'Why?' Clarke wrinkles up her nose, her blue sweater bringing out the blue of her eyes even more. She lies back against her pillows, pulling a small, purple blanket over herself.

'Because' Reyes shrugs. 'Sounds awesome.'

Clarke actually snorts.

'What?' Reyes sounds a little offended.

'You want to go to an Ivy League school because it _sounds_ awesome? Reyes' she rolls her eyes, a smirk on her face. 'Pick the easiest, cheapest way to achieve your dreams. Why go to so much trouble when you might not have to?'

Reyes scoffs, sitting on her bed near her feet.

'Because I've never had anything good in my whole life. What's wrong with wanting that?'

Clarke considers this for a beat before lifting the blanket, inviting him inside with her. It's an intimate invitation but Reyes doesn't hesitate to accept it - even if he'll barely fit under there with her. He smiles, crawling up so that he's still a bit away from her but his heart is beating out of his chest because damn, he's sharing a blanket with Clarke Griffin. It sounds so stupid but he can't help the butterflies in his stomach because of it.

'There's nothing wrong with wanting something good' she tells him. 'But just because society tells you something is good, doesn't mean it is. I mean, what do you want to do?'

'Aerospace engineering' he replies without missing a beat.

'And no other colleges offer that other than Shallow Valley?'

'Well, they do...'

'So why go through all this trouble with the app to save all this money when you could just do the same thing without all of this?'

'Well, I'm sick of people always thinking I'm good for nothing. Maybe if I say I attend Shallow Valley, they won't think I'm some poor loser kid with an alcoholic mom and no prospects' Reyes says, hating how his voice sounds when he tells her that. Clarke's eyes dip in sympathy and when she reaches out to touch his hand, it sends the butterflies wild inside of him. He's pretty sure she can hear his heart belting against his rib cage.

'Reyes, you are not where you come from. You're the person you choose to be - the person I know you are. You're good and smart and attending Shallow Valley isn't going to change any of that.'

Reyes watches the genuine energy seep from every pore of hers, watches her belief in him transpire through her eyes. Maybe she's right - maybe he doesn't need Shallow Valley to fulfil his dreams.

He always wanted something good - and now here he is, sharing a blanket that is too small with a girl who says things too big, things that blow up his heart.

Maybe he has something good after all.

 

-

 

'Come on Murphy' Reyes is saying, following him around Dropship Subs like a lost puppy.

'Come on nothing, you haven't spoken to me in weeks - we have barely hung out outside of work.'

He's pissed and really, Reyes can't blame him. The app had taken over his life, _become_ his life. He didn't make time for anything else, only his late night phone calls with Clarke. The other night with her changed his mind though - he doesn't need Shallow Valley to fulfil his dreams.

'I killed the app.'

'Is that so?' Murphy quirks an eyebrow, showing Reyes that he isn't as mad at him as he's letting on.

'Yeah, a couple of copycat apps have popped up' he shrugs. 'Market is getting saturated. I got out of the game at a good time, I think.'

'And the women and men of Arkadia weep' Murphy mumbles sarcastically. Reyes flicks a glove at him and it extracts a grin from his friend, dispensing the tension in the air like a fine mist.

'You dossing as usual or do you have time to take my order?' Clarke's voice appears behind Reyes and he snaps his body around, finding her standing there in a black shirt and a pair of jeans - casual as the day he met her.

'Hey' he smiles.

'Hey' she mirrors him and for the first time, he thinks she feels shy. She tucks a piece of blonde hair behind her ear, dropping her gaze to the floor momentarily.

'What can I get you, Princess?'

'A distraction' she shrugs. 'Playing hooky from after school study.'

'I'm shocked' he says smartly, causing Clarke to stick out her tongue at him like a juvenile. It wouldn't be out of character for her at all to be straying from Polis. 'Have a seat. I'm due my break anyway.'

Clarke nods, spinning around and choosing a seat by the window. Murphy raises his eyebrows at him, a knowing look on his face. Reyes can only roll his eyes, slipping out around the counter before Murphy can make a smart comment.

He spends the next hour joking with Clarke and spending easy time with her - enjoyable time like always. She's become such an important part of his life, a person he couldn't imagine going a day without speaking to. How his priorities have changed?

Near the end of his break, Murphy comes over and chats with her for a bit too, getting to know her a little. The place is void of any customers so it feels nice that it's just the three of them, their voices getting louder and louder with each conversation.

'I'm telling you' Murphy is saying, recalling a story of the time himself, Monty, Reyes tried to make a homemade rocket. 'It was like their fifth try at trying to strike the match to light it...'

'Third' Reyes corrects him.

'And their hands were shaking from fear so much that they couldn't do it.'

'It was anticipation' Reyes groans, causing Clarke to hide a grin behind her hand.

'It was fear' Murphy insists. 'You guys thought the whole thing would blow up in your faces, but you were determined to light it anyway. The rocket must have been the size of my leg...'

'It was the size of a small pineapple' Reyes rolls his eyes now at his friend, ever the exaggerator.

'And then they finally lit it and we had to practically jump behind the shed at Monty's house to shield ourselves.'

'We hid behind the doghouse - man, you were there! How are you getting this so wrong?' Reyes laughs himself now.

'And BOOM! The rocket burst into the sky and exploded before it even reached the top of the trees in Monty's back garden. After two weeks of making the goddamn thing' Murphy slumps back into the chair shaking his head and Clarke is laughing so hard now that she has tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

The way Murphy tells stories are funnier than the actual tale themselves so it's easy to understand why Murphy is so likeable. Reyes immediately feels bad for practically ignoring him while he was working so hard with the app.

'And you want to study aerospace engineering?' Murphy teases him, shoving his shoulder lightly.

'When I'm sending a real rocket to space, I'm making it my personal life goal to ensure that you're the first one on it' Reyes hits back, no real malice behind it because he's smirking.

'I gotta go' Clarke says when she checks her watch, the smile still on her face. 'Come over later?' she asks Reyes, hope in her eyes. His heart practically melts.

'Sure' he grins, wider than he probably means to. She gives him an even bigger one in return before she's gone out the door.

'So. What is this?' Murphy is wiggling his eyebrows at him when Reyes checks his expression. Reyes watches Clarke through the window as she gets into her car, his heart racing a little and his breathing catching in his throat. He takes a second before he can respond to Murphy's question, settling on the only thing he can really describe it as.

'A new dream.'

 

-

 

Clarke's room is just as edgy as she is, song lyrics and inspirational quotes pinned to a wooden notice board above her desk and a couple of photos of her and her friends dotted around in random places. She's sitting on her bed, looking a little less confident than he's used to seeing her.

Reyes has gotten to know her pretty well and he's proud to say that he can twig her tells when she's acting off. He doesn't ask her what's wrong though because he's pretty sure he knows - he can feel the palpable tension between the two of them. It resides in the bedroom alongside their bodies - something that can only be cured by having the conversation that's waiting before them.

They both feel something for one another, that much is obvious.

He doesn't miss the way she checks him out, the way she's warmed to him and the way she trusts him with every single thing she tells him. And as for him - he's a goner for this girl.

'So' he begins, his voice sounding odd amongst the silence that's been here since he arrived. 'I applied to University of Sanctum.'

Clarke's eyes widen.

'What?'

'Yeah, turns out they do a killer aerospace engineering programme and it's a tonne cheaper than Shallow Valley.'

'I thought Shallow Valley was everything to you?'

'It was. Until someone made me realise that if I have to pretend to be someone else to get in, then I probably don't belong there. I need to go somewhere for the right reasons - not because I think it sounds good when it's said out loud.'

'Reyes, that's great' she breathes, smiling so hard that he's sure his heart will fall out of his chest from the sight of it. She seems so genuinely pleased for him, maybe a little excited that he'll be attending the same university as her.

'Wanna read my admissions letter?'

'Of course' Clarke beams and Reyes fishes his hand into his pocket, withdrawing a crumpled piece of paper that he had worked way too hard on. It's more of a letter for her and once she reads it, she'll know that - and his mind is racing as to what she'll think of it.

There's a knot in his stomach that can only be untied by her and he watches her take a quick scan of the page before meeting his eye again.

'Out loud?' she asks and he nods, so she begins. 'Dear Admissions Office of the University of Clarke Griffin' she looks up, smirking. A blush rises to Reyes' cheeks and he paces a little, too anxious to stand still. 'Reyes?'

'Keep going.'

He hears her take a breath before continuing.

'First off, I just want to say what an honour it is just to be considered as a potential attendee at your fine institution. Secondly, this feels really creepy writing to you as if you're a university and not a person, so I'll stop that now.'

Clarke giggles at this and Reyes smiles, checking her face every now and then to see if he can figure out what she's thinking or how she's feeling. Turns out she's difficult to read when she's this thrown.

'A few months ago, I was a guy who carried around this empty feeling. Then, I thought that it could be filled by driving the nicest car or going to the fanciest school. But the closer I got to having any of these things, the deeper that empty feeling got.'

Clarke looks up at him, pausing for a second in the middle of his letter. He doesn't dare meet her gaze because apparently, the overly confident Raven Reyes is now self conscious at having his soul bared.

'I've been so many people these past few months. A cowboy, a salsa dancer, an art connoisseur, a bad friend, an absent son and a self-obsessed jackass. But through it all, there were little pockets of air when I felt like I was truly myself, and that was when I was with you. When I was sipping coffee and people watching, when I was staying up far too late on the phone, when I was sharing a purple blanket with the only person to ever really see me.'

He hears her swallow before continuing.

'I don't know if you're accepting applications right now, but if not, I am totally willing to be wait-listed. Sincerely and always yours, Raven Reyes.'

He can barely breathe, swallowing the thick air in her bedroom. He hears the paper being set down and he realises that he's been staring too hard at Clarke's floor.

When he feels Clarke touch his shoulder, he finally snaps out of himself and flicks his eyes up to see her. She's staring at him with such intensity that Reyes could easily and happily get lost in her gaze forever.

'Reyes' she whispers, standing in front of him now.

'You've changed my life, Clarke Griffin' he tells her with certainty. 'And I needed you to know that.'

She leans in and so does he, almost simultaneously. The air between them is charged as they slowly drift towards one another but just as their lips are about to meet, there's a knock at the door.

'You kids want some dinner?' Jake's voice sounds through the room. Reyes shuts his eyes and Clarke groans silently.

'Thanks dad' she says but only Reyes can hear the slight irritation and disappointment in her tone. He smirks, biting his bottom lip.

It's fine - he plans on getting a million more moments with Clarke Griffin, even if this one was ruined. He'd wait forever for a kiss from that girl, for even a fraction of her time because around her, Reyes finally knows who he is - and where he belongs.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. You can find me and this fic on Tumblr if you want to share it and that would just make my day :)  
> [Here's the link.](https://eyessharpweaponshot.tumblr.com/post/184731575909/the-perfect-date-princess-mechanic-modern-au)
> 
> Here’s the link for [Chopped: The 100 Fanfic Challenge.](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/The_100_Chopped_Challenge_Final_Round) There’s so many wonderful fics there, go give them a read.


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